• YokweOnline
  

  • Registered: Jul 10, 2002
  • Last visit: Mar 31, 2013
  • Posts: 2558

  Posted: Dec 27, 2011 - 03:33 AM

  Marshall Island…slands Journal
  

  Caios wins recount by 1

  
  The Electoral Administration reports that Caios Lucky has won the Ujae Nitijela race based on a recount held Tuesday evening — by a one-vote margin. According to Acting Secretary of Internal Affairs Wallace Peter), Lucky obtained the lead because the recount detected a mistake from the original count that had gone in Muller’s favor, when the one vote should have been counted for Lucky. The result: 117-116 in Lucky’s favor.
  
  On Wednesday morning, following completion of the count, the Journal was advised by an Electoral official that the recount had confirmed a tie vote between the two Nitijela candidates. But campaign officials with Muller said the recount added two votes to his total from the Majuro tally, which could have pushed him into a win.
  
  Then late in the afternoon, word received from Ebeye, where votes were also recounted, is that Muller lost one vote from the earlier count, which put Lucky up by one to win. An issue hovering over the recount is two “claim” absentee votes from Ebeye that were originally rejected because Electoral officials on Ebeye could not locate the names of the two voters on the Ujae voting list — but later confirmed them.
  
  According to Muller, the “reason why the two votes were not counted is because at first Electoral reps on Ebeye could not locate their names on the electoral register because they used their married last names to vote. However, their maiden names are in the register. Patrick Bing, Ebeye Electoral officer, has now identified them. In fact, Monday (last) week, the CEO told him to open in front of poll watchers but cancelled at the last minute. I don’t know the reason.”
  
  On Wednesday this week, following the recount, Muller said: “I am still pushing for the claims (ballots) to be opened and counted.” The two Ujae voters from Ebeye, Woonam Joe Jibon and Jibwini Jaime Batlok, said they have been registered to vote from Ujae since 1981, and had voted in past elections under their married names without problems.

  
  
  

  RMI’S MULLER CHALLENGES PARLIAMENTARY LOSS -
  Says absentee votes should have been counted

  
  By Giff Johnson
  MAJURO, Marshall Islands (Marianas Variety, Dec. 23, 2011) - A recount Tuesday night broke a tie vote in a Marshall Islands parliament race, upending incumbent Frederick Muller.
  
  The Ujae Atoll parliament race between Caios Lucky and Muller was tied at 117-all after all votes were counted from the November 21 national election.
  
  Muller, who has chaired the parliament’s Public Accounts Committee and aggressively conducted oversight of government spending and performance, said Wednesday he will challenge the results. The recount results were released late Wednesday.
  
  An issue hovering over the result is two challenged absentee votes from Ebeye Island "The reason why the two votes were not counted is because at first electoral representatives on Ebeye could not locate their names on the electoral register because they used their married last names to vote," said Muller. "However, their maiden names are in the register. Patrick Bing, Ebeye Electoral officer, has now identified them. In fact, Monday (last) week, Chief Electoral Officer Joseph Jorlang told him to open (the ballots) in front of poll watchers but cancelled at the last minute. I don’t know the reason."
  
  On Wednesday this week, following the recount, Muller said: "I am still pushing for the claims (ballots) to be opened and counted."
  
  The two Ujae voters from Ebeye, Woonam Joe Jibon and Jibwini Jaime Batlok have filed statements in an effort to get their votes counted. They said they have been registered to vote from Ujae since 1981, and had voted in past elections under their married names without problems. They both said that on November 21, when they went to vote, "Electoral representatives said they could not locate (their names) on the electoral register" and so treated the ballots as "challenged."
  
  In the Marshall Islands, a person whose name cannot be located on the voting list at a polling station can still vote, but the ballot is put into an envelope that is stamped "challenged" and the voter’s identity must be vetted by tabulators before the ballot can be counted.

  
  
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  "Promoting more information disclosure by the public service, rather than secrecy which may allow corruption to be hidden" - from Nitijela UN Workshop Outcomes Statement, Feb. 17, 2011

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• laRon
  

  • Registered: Sep 07, 2002
  • Last visit: Feb 14, 2013
  • Posts: 144

  Posted: Dec 27, 2011 - 07:52 AM

  Quote

  Muller, who has chaired the parliament’s Public Accounts Committee and aggressively conducted oversight of government spending and performance, said Wednesday he will challenge the results. The recount results were released late Wednesday.

  
  
  Doesn't the RMI have issues with government spending and performance , I think it is time for a newly elected to take his place.

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